As networks become more complex and have a need for higher bandwidth cabling, attenuation of cable-to-cable crosstalk (or “alien crosstalk”) becomes increasingly important to provide a robust and reliable communication system. Alien crosstalk is primarily coupled electromagnetic noise that can occur in a disturbed cable arising from signal-carrying cables that run near the disturbed cable.
It is desirable to decrease the amount of this coupling. This coupling can be decreased by decreasing the dielectric constant of the material between neighboring cables and also by providing barriers to electromagnetic interference between adjacent cables.